The present invention relates generally to tracking client use of an online service. More particularly, the present invention relates to tracking the use of graphical user interface toolbar by an online service provider.
Online service providers are constantly offering new services and upgrading existing services to enhance their subscribers"" online experience. Subscribers have virtually on-demand access to news, weather, financial, sports, and entertainment services as well as the ability to transmit electronic messages and to participate in online discussion groups. For example, subscribers of online service providers such as America Online or CompuServe may view and retrieve information on a wide variety of topics from repositories located throughout the world. A server may be maintained by the service provider or by a third party provider who makes information and services available through the network of computers that make up the online service.
Online service providers facilitate access to information and services by providing interactive UIs (User Interfaces) that help subscribers navigate to desired resources. UIs often take advantage of the graphics capabilities of a subscriber""s computer and eliminate the need to type in text commands. Generally, a UI allows a subscriber to simply select screen objects such as icons, windows, and drop-down menus to execute particular commands or to link to certain locations. The design of a UI is very important to a subscribers"" online experience. In particular, the icons, windows, and menus of a UI must be arranged to enable a subscriber to locate preferred information and services quickly and easily.
In one general aspect, a graphical user interface toolbar is tracked by establishing a connection to a client; receiving a token including a unique tracking number corresponding to a toolbar item function from the client; and registering use of the toolbar item function.
Implementations may include registering a time stamp corresponding to selection of the toolbar item function; registering elapsed time between successive selections of different toolbar item functions; registering a user account corresponding to selection of the toolbar item function; generating toolbar utilization data; and modifying the graphical user interface toolbar based on the toolbar utilization data.
The toolbar utilization data may include frequency at which a particular toolbar item function was selected during a period of time; percentage of users utilizing a particular toolbar item function; and the number of different toolbar items utilized by a particular account.
The graphical user interface toolbar may include a menu bar, an icon bar, and/or a navigation bar. The menu bar may include multiple menu item buttons associated with a corresponding pull-down menu. The icon bar may include multiple icons configured to initiate a particular function associated with the icon. A navigation bar may include multiple navigation buttons, a text box, and/or one or more action buttons.
In another general aspect, a graphical user interface toolbar is tracked by presenting the graphical user interface tool bar on a client device of a user; establishing a connection to a host; receiving a command, at the client device, to initiate a toolbar item function; initiating the toolbar item function; and sending a token including a unique tracking number corresponding to the initiated toolbar item function to the host.